This 5 storey apartment building is an excellent example of how necessary remediation can be an opportunity to think outside the box, implementing solutions in a way that adds value and includes modern design features.
The building, which comprises of 12 apartments and carparking needed to be reclad because of issues of weathertightness and the team was given open scope by the owners to find interesting design solutions.
The apartments are accessed externally via open walkways exposed to the street façade, which originally had glass balustrades and exposed cross braces that were vulnerable to the elements. The improved design closed these spaces in, reducing their exposure and partially cladding the façade in a glass curtain wall. To meet building code requirements, the wall needed open vents, which were created as the stylish red box feature which inspires the building’s new name.
Eyebrows added to the roof for added weather and sun protection contrast horizontally with the vertical forms, and the northern face of the building has been similarly modernised with deck extensions, new joinery and fresh cladding. Inside, new kitchens, bathrooms and internal fit outs not only create improved acoustic treatment, but breathe new life into the spaces for the owners.